


the dark forest

by chapter_61



Series: COC 2019 [17]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), Carry On Countdown 2019, DEC 11 - Witch/Psychic, Day 17: Witch/Psychic, M/M, agatha and baz friendship you ask?, it's not really a witch or a psychic au but i do what i want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21759592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chapter_61/pseuds/chapter_61
Summary: The evening before her marriage, she runs towards the forest. She didn’t tell anyone, they would’ve stopped her.From a very young age, everyone in the village learns the stories of the dark forest. She’s heard it countless times: Never go into the dark forest. No one has ever returned.But Agatha is desperate, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t mind not being able to come back to the village.Her dark red cloak flutters behind her as she sprints to the edge of the forest, jumping over rocks and tall grass. The sun is setting, the sky a beautiful orange colour, but she can’t stop running. It won’t be long until someone finds out she’s missing.Finally, she reaches it. She stops, out of breath, to lean against a tree. The border to the dark forest is clear: the long, light grass stops right before the tree line, turning into a blue layer of leaves on the forest ground.Agatha watches the line with fear in her heart. She doesn’t know what’s waiting for her in there, but nothing could be worse than spending an entire life married to someone you don’t love.She takes one last deep breath, and steps over the border.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Agatha Wellbelove, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: COC 2019 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553623
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2019





	the dark forest

The evening before her marriage, she runs towards the forest. She didn’t tell anyone, they would’ve stopped her.

From a very young age, everyone in the village learns the stories of the dark forest. She’s heard it countless times: Never go into the dark forest. No one has ever returned.

But Agatha is desperate, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t mind not being able to come back to the village.

Her dark red cloak flutters behind her as she sprints to the edge of the forest, jumping over rocks and tall grass. The sun is setting, the sky a beautiful orange colour, but she can’t stop running. It won’t be long until someone finds out she’s missing.

Finally, she reaches it. She stops, out of breath, to lean against a tree. The border to the dark forest is clear: the long, light grass stops right before the tree line, turning into a blue layer of leaves on the forest ground.

Agatha watches the line with fear in her heart. She doesn’t know what’s waiting for her in there, but nothing could be worse than spending an entire life married to someone you don’t love.

She takes one last deep breath, and steps over the border.

Immediately, all sounds from outside the forest disappear, leaving only the rustling of the tree leaves. She can’t see or hear any birds, or any other kind of animal. When she looks up, she sees the moon high up in the sky, casting a cold blue light over the place. It must be night already. 

Apart from evading her marriage, Agatha doesn’t really have a plan. She thought that maybe when she crossed the border, something would happen and it would all become clear. But nothing happened. So, she starts walking. Away from the edge, deep into the forest.

  
  


Some time later, she thinks hours have passed but the moon is still at the same point in the sky so she’s unsure, she notices a wooden structure in a slightly more open area. It almost looks like…. A throne?

Carefully, she walks towards it. When nothing jumps at her, no other noises apart from the trees and the twigs beneath her feet, curiosity takes over. She reaches out gingerly and puts her hand on what looks like an armrest. Still, nothing happens.

With one last look around, she lowers herself on the wooden throne, and is pleased to notice it feels more comfortable than it looks. Exhaustion takes over, and her eyes fall shut.

  
  


“Well, well, well.”

Agatha’s eyes fly open. There’s a man in front of her. Not entirely human, though. His skin looks pale, even more so in the moonlight, and fangs cover his lower lip. He has raven black hair that reaches his shoulders, and small horns growing out of his skull. The man (creature?) is wearing black robes and holds a basket with mushrooms. Apart from his appearance, he doesn’t seem much like one of those evil monsters that she’s been warned about so many times.

Agatha tries to get up, but something’s keeping her on the throne.

“No no, don’t stand up on my account,” the creature says. “I’m just passing by.”

“Who are you?” She dares.

“This part of the forest belongs to me. I don’t have to tell you anything. Goodbye.” The creature turns around and starts walking away.

She struggles to get off the throne, but she’s still stuck. “No, wait! Please, help me.”

The creature stops and turns around with a malicious smile. “You want my help?”

“Please,” she begs him.

His smile falls away and he rolls his eyes in annoyance. “It’s not fun if you’re practically crying. Stop that.”

Agatha looks at him in confusion but wipes away the tears on her face. The creature steps closer again, his features serious. “Now, what would you give me if I freed you?”

“I...” She hesitates. “I don’t know. I don’t really have anything to give.”

The creatures sighs. “Why are you in the forest? You don’t seem like the type to come in here to have a wish fulfilled, you look like a scared cat. No offense.”

Agatha exhales a small laugh. Maybe this creature isn’t so bad. “I had to run away from the village. I’m supposed to get married tomorrow to a man I don’t even know. That’s not what I want.”

“Oh.” The creature looks almost empathetic. “What’s your name?”

_Never give your name to the monsters of the forest_ , her teacher’s voice reminds her. _They can do unspeakable things to you_.

This creature looks trustworthy, though.

“I’m Agatha.”

The creature chuckles. It’s a nice sound, and it makes him look less threatening. “Nice to meet you, Agatha. I’m Basilton. You’re lucky I’m the one that found you.”

He holds out his hand and she takes it without a thought. The creature, Basilton, pulls her up and suddenly she’s standing next to the throne. She looks down at it and then back up at Basilton. “Thank you.”

Basilton inclines his head, and starts walking away. Agatha’s uncertain if she’s allowed to follow him. She’d much rather stay with him than wander around the forest alone. Before she can say anything, however, Basilton looks back questioningly. “Are you coming?”

She smiles at him and skips forward.

  
  


“How long have you been in the forest?” Basilton asks after a while. They’re harvesting mushrooms.

“I’m… not sure. I entered around sundown, then walked for a long time and fell asleep on the throne.”

Basilton nods. “Time passes strangely here. You’ll get used to it.”

“You mean… I can stay?” She asks, hopefully.

Basilton looks up at her. “Of course. Unless you have other plans?”

She snorts. “No. I’m not going back. Besides, it’s not so bad here.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if someone else had found you. The forest holds more than mushrooms and friendly vampires.”

“You’re a vampire?” She asks, perplexed.

Basilton rolls his eyes. He does that a lot. It’s charming. “What else would I be? Aren’t the fangs a dead giveaway?” Then he starts chuckling. “Ha. Dead.”

“If I’m being honest, the horns threw me off.”

“Yes,” Basilton sighs, suddenly serious again. “I grew those in the forest. They hurt like hell at first, but now I’m used to it.”

“Wait, I have two questions.”

Basilton stops plucking mushrooms and sits down. He doesn’t seem to mind that his robes are getting dirty. “Go ahead.”

“Now I have three questions.”

“Fine.”

“First of all,” she starts. “Why are you indulging me? You don’t have to take me along and answer my questions. You mentioned other monsters in the forest, why not leave me for them?”

“Easy,” Basilton says. “It’s lonely in here. I don’t socialise with the others in the forest, mainly because they’re not very good company, so I’m always on my own. You seem like a nice girl, and I don’t mind answering your questions if it means you’ll stay a bit longer.”

Agatha feels herself blush. She clears her throat. “Second question, if you’re a vampire, what do you eat? Or drink, I mean.”

“I don’t have to drink actual blood anymore,” Basilton says. “I’m thankful for the forest providing me with these magical mushrooms that satisfy my thirst.”

“You can make blood with magical mushrooms?”

“Yes.”

“So you’re also a witch, then?”

“I suppose,” Basilton replies. “I don’t have any powers, however. I wasn’t born here.”

“Which brings me to my next question: why are _you_ here? If you weren’t born in the forest, where did you come from?”

“The moon.”

“Really?”

“No,” Basilton deadpans. “Of course not.”

“Oh,” she says, slightly disappointed. “So?”

“I was born in Watford.”

“Really?” She repeats. “Me too! That’s the village I come from!”

Basilton is suddenly quiet. He looks at her in a strange way, almost hopeful, but then shakes his head.

“Yes,” he continues. “Years ago, I was exiled. Someone found out I was a vampire, even though I wasn’t harming anyone, and the town decided I should be banished to the forest, to join the other monsters.”

“Oh no,” Agatha says quietly. She touches Basilton’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Basilton looks down at his hand and slowly pulls it out of Agatha’s reach. “It’s fine. It’s been a long time.”

“How old were you?”

“Eighteen.”

“That’s my age! I can’t imagine being banished right now. Well, I actually banished myself, so I can. But still. How long has it been, then?”

“Hard to tell,” Basilton replies, looking at the moon.

“You don’t look that old,” she tells him.

“Sure.” Baz is quiet for a moment. Then he turns to Agatha. “Who’s the head of your village?”

“David Snow. He’s been head for almost twenty years now, after Natasha Pitch died in that fire.”

“Shit,” Basilton curses. Agatha frowns at him. “That bastard is still in power? It’s been seven years, then. I’m twenty-five,” he laughs incredulously. Basilton looks at her like he wants to ask her a question, but he doesn’t.

“Enough about me,” Basilton says after a while. “What’s your story? Who’s the poor sod you left at the altar? He wasn’t pretty enough for you?”

“No! He’s plenty pretty. I just don’t know him that well. And he’s a bit older.”

“Why didn’t you try to get to know him first, then?”

She shrugs. “I didn’t feel a spark between us. It was an arranged marriage, I didn’t choose it.”

“Arranged? Since when does Watford arranged marriages?”

“It’s David. He wanted his son to get married, so he chose the prettiest girl in the village, I suppose.”

Basilton looks at her with wide eyes. “His son?”

“Yes,” she nods, hesitantly. “Simon Snow.”

Basilton does something weird, then. He smiles, but his eyes are sad. He starts ripping leaves into pieces. “He’s still not married?”

Agatha shakes her head. “It’s really weird. He’s already twenty-five, your age, and still not married. There are plenty of girls that would love to be his wife, but he’s never accepted any proposal. I think his father is getting angry at him, that’s why he arranged our marriage. He needs to have a wife and a family for when he takes over as head of the town.”

“Has he...” Basilton is staring at the ground. “Has Simon ever mentioned someone else?”

She frowns at him. “I don’t think so? Wait...” She suddenly remembers a conversation they had one evening, when they had been fitting wedding clothes. Simon told her something and Agatha had no idea why he would say that to someone he barely knows. “Well, he did mention a friend of his that died a while ago. He’s still really sad about it. I think his name was...” She trails off.

Basilton looks up, and Agatha realises. “His name was Baz,” she says slowly. “Simon told me Baz was his best friend but that he died at eighteen. And this might sound crazy, but I think he was in love with him. He just had this look in his eyes when he was talking about him.”

Silence. Then, Basilton sighs sadly. He looks broken.

“You’re his Baz, aren’t you?”

Baz nods and Agatha can see tears welling up in his eyes. “He thinks I’m dead,” he whispers.

“Oh my god,” Agatha says suddenly. “You need to come back with me. To Watford. Then you can marry him in my place.”

Baz chuckles gloomily. “Life is not a fairy tale, Agatha.”

“Maybe it is!” She carries on. “Simon still loves you, I know it! What are you waiting for?”

“Simon might have loved me when we were young,” Baz says. “But look at me now. How could he still love me?”

“Basilton, you’re still beautiful. On the inside and on the outside. Simon didn’t mind you being a vampire, why would he mind what you look like now? Let’s go!” She starts tugging on his hands.

Baz stands up uncomfortably. “I don’t know, Agatha. David is the one who found out about me, he’s not going to accept this. I can’t just go back.”

“Then we’ll get rid of him! He’s been ruling for twenty years and almost everyone hates him, no one would mind! Do you love Simon?”

“I do,” Baz replies with a smile.

“Well then! True love conquers everything. Let’s go!”

And she tugs him towards the edge of the forest, towards a happier ending for them both and towards true love.


End file.
